The Will to Live: Beth's Struggle
by Thedragoness821
Summary: My take on what happened to Beth based on the teasers we have seen so far. The story follows Beth on her journey back to Rick's group and the struggles she encounters on the way. dont know how many chapters it will be, it depends on how much traffic it receives. Eventual Daryl/Beth.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

_Summary: My take on what happened to Beth based on the teasers we have seen so far up to the final scene between Daryl and Michonne (when he says "come on out!")_

_Notes: People have been suggesting to me to do this kind of story, a Beth/Daryl story, so here it is, of course, this isn't in any way related to my other Walking Dead stories, just to clear up any confusion. I don't know how long this story might be, it may end up being a one or two shot, I am not sure yet._

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><p>A pair of eyes snap open, their blue color oddly bright against the stark shade of the room, Beth Greene sat bolt upright, suddenly lucid, her heart racing as she looked around.<p>

She was unsure how long she had been out, her mouth was painfully dry and her throat felt raw, she was desperately thirsty and hungry.

She swung her legs over the bed and lowered her feet shakily to the floor, a sudden pain in her left forearm stopped her, she looked down, surprised to find IV's leading to a bag that was likely the fluids that had kept her alive while she was unconscious.

With a grimace, she pulled them out, trying to do so as quickly as possible, like ripping a band aid off. She tried the door and found it to be stuck, blockaded with something on the other side.

There was no other way out of the room, she was going to have to push it open somehow, she hoped she had the strength, both for that and whatever might be waiting for her on the other side, because someone barricaded that door for a reason and she couldn't imagine it was a good one.

Just then, she heard the sounds that made everyone's blood run cold; moans, shuffling feet, and growling. She peeked through the small window and saw the hallway outside was flooded with walkers. If she was getting out, it wasn't that way.

The only other option was the fire escape, but she would have to break the window to get to it. Her IV stand was going to have to do, she hoped she had the strength, the glass seemed pretty sturdy.

She steeled herself and swung the stand with all the strength she could muster in her weakened state and yelled out of shock when the glass, weakened by years of neglect, shattered on the first try.

Unfortunately that act also made a good deal of noise and the herd in the hallway began pushing against the door, their hungry growls and snarls sent shivers down her spine as she climbed out the window just in time to hear the door to her room give way under the pressing weight of the walkers behind it.

They rushed the window and reached for her, but she was already too far down the latter, out of reach. She climbed to the bottom of the latter, but the release was rusted shut, she would have to jump the rest of the way to the ground.

She inched down as far as she could, her body hanging and let herself drop. She stood and didn't waste any time making a run for it. She didn't know where she was going, she didn't care as long as it was away from there.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Beth ran until she could run no longer, it was getting dark and she was exhausted, she had to find shelter before she lost the light completely. She came upon a ruined house that looked like it had been abandoned before all this started. Parts of the roof were gone and the walls looked like they were ready to go any day as well. The house had the remains of several cars parked in the front yard, the trunk of one of those cars would have to do for tonight.

She nestled herself in the stale, moldy trunk of a 1980's cutlass and, she wept silently and uncontrollably, the trauma of her ordeal finally overcoming her.

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><p>Beth awoke with a start to the early morning light streaming through the gaps in the trunk, somewhere a mockingbird was singing his cheery morning song, seeming to mock her in her misery.<p>

She opened the trunk slowly, grimacing at the groan it made and found the coast to be clear. She knew it shouldn't be the first priority, but she wanted to find some kind of store and ditch the bloody, filthy scrubs she had been wearing since she escaped the awful place she had been held captive. But before that, she wanted to find a working car and put as much distance between her and that hell hole as possible.

After almost a whole day of walking, she came upon what used to be a small town, most of the stores were ransacked, but there were a few vehicles that looked promising.

She walked up to one and her heart leapt with anticipation when she discovered the keys still in the ignition. She slipped into the driver's seat and prayed that the battery wasn't dead.

She gave a squeal of delight when the car turned over. She immediately blushed at the girlish nature of her squeal and her face turned even redder when she found herself feeling relieved that Daryl wasn't around to hear it, as he surely would have given her a hard time.

Just then, a herd of walkers came out of the woods, likely attracted by the sound of the car's engine. She put the car in drive and sped off down the decaying country highway.

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><p>Beth drove and drove until the sun started to set once more, a beeping from the car told her gas was running low, she had to stop soon, but there wasn't a town in sight. On a whim, she took an unpaved country road that came up on her right and stopped at the first house she came to.<p>

She pulled the car around back, in case anyone else came down the road, and crept inside, brandishing the machete she had picked up along the way. There was one walker in the house, but it was so emaciated that she dispatched it quickly.

After searching the house and concluding that she was alone, she settled on the couch with a can of cream of chicken she found in the pantry. Beth suddenly felt the tears welling up in her eyes again, she laid down in the fetal position and wept, her half eaten can of soup on the floor in front of her, the darkness closing in on her like a suffocating entity.

She wiped her face and steeled her resolve. She was going to have to come to terms with the fact that she might very well be alone for a very long time, maybe forever. She missed her sister, Glenn, Judith and the rest of the group. She missed the security being around them gave her, she hoped to find them, but in a world without communication, she didn't hold out much hope.

This was her time now, she had to rely on herself, she wanted to make her sister proud of her, she wanted to make her parents, god rest their souls, proud of her. She was tired of being the victim, the weak one, the one everyone had to take care of and there was no time like the present to change that.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The morning brought a glint of hope as Beth poked around the house. She found a closet full of clothes, they were men's clothes and two sizes too big, but nothing a belt couldn't fix, and she was just happy to be out of those horrible scrubs.

She managed to pry her cast off using the machete, it shouldn't have been off weeks ago, and it felt wonderful to once again have the use of her arm.

She packed what useful supplies she could find in the house into the trunk of the car and filled the gas tank with gas from a can she found out back next to an abandoned car. It looked like someone had planned to flee and didn't get the chance, maybe the walker had she killed was the owner of the house. Something had happened here and she wasn't going to stick around to find out.

She turned approached the main road just in time to see a black car whiz past at high speed, blowing up a flurry of leaves and debris in the process. She recognized the car as the one that had first taken her to the awful place and her body went cold with dread as she waited, hoping they hadn't spotted her.

After what seemed like a fortnight, she didn't hear anything except the various woodland animals going about their business. Luckily the direction she was going was opposite to that car, and she put the petal down. The place had been overrun but clearly, some of them had survived and were on the lookout for more prisoners.

She stopped and used the butt of the machete to knock out the tail lights to the car, just in case she had to travel at night. After what seemed like forever, she passed a decaying sign that mentioned a former town. It would be dark soon, and it would be a few more months before the days started getting noticeably longer, she would have to stop soon and she hoped she had put enough distance between herself and the assholes driving that damned car.

Luck had been with her so far, and she hoped it would hold out.

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><p>The town she came to turned out to be fairly untouched, she suspected that it was so small everyone forgot that it was there, she hoped that it would stay that way, here there was nowhere to hide the car, so she was forced to leave it out in the open. She took the keys and locked it and crept into a decaying dollar general store, she knew the perishables wouldn't be good anymore, but maybe she could find some canned goods.<p>

She had to bite back another squeal when, in the canned goods section she found some Chef Boyardee ravioli, one of her favorites and something she hadn't had since all this started. She packed as many cans as she could fit in her bag and grabbed up a few extra sets of clothes as well.

Still, something didn't feel right and she imagined she wouldn't get much sleep tonight. She would have to keep one eye open. She exited the dollar general into the silence of the night, nothing but a distant owl hooting could be herd, it was so quiet that she could hear her own heartbeat in her ears.

She crept along the small strip center and came to a small country store. The doors were closed, but the glass was out, she crept through and waited for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. Once they did, she realized that it was a hunting supply store and it was surprisingly well stocked.

She passed a crossbow on the wall and felt a twinge of pain in her heart as she thought of him and wondered if he was okay, of course he was okay, she didn't know of any person who was better equipped to survive in a world like this than Daryl.

Behind the counter was what she hoped to find … the guns. She couldn't believe they hadn't been touched, it was like it was too good to be true, but she wasn't one to discount a stroke of luck, especially in a situation like hers. She decided on a functional Ruger twenty two short rifle and packed as many boxes of bullets as she could. She loaded the gun and even found a few silencers in the office in back, they were stashed in a file cabinet.

She screwed one onto the rifle and loaded it, and put as many bullets into her pockets as she could, one of the perks of having to wear men's pants was the larger pockets. She chose a spot behind the ammo counter to sleep and laid a sleeping bag she had found out on the floor.

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><p>Sometime deep into the night, she was startled awake by the sound of gravel crunching under car tires. She crept to the window and her heart stopped, it was the black car with the cross on the back window, and it was pulling up to her car. It was official, she was trapped.<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

_Notes: Thank you to all who faved and followed and reviewed this story, that means a lot to me!_

Beth slowly cocked the rifle as quietly as she could, fearing any noise could notify them of her location in the dead quiet of the night. Her heart was pounding so hard that she prayed they couldn't hear it, her hands were sweaty and shaky, and for a moment she wasn't sure she could do this.

But she had to, it was either that or go back to the god forsaken place. She had come too far and gone through too much for that, and it was that last thought that steeled her resolve. She gave a quick glance up at the sky and thanked her daddy for teaching her how to shoot as a girl.

"Check every store, there's gotta be something worthwhile here, doesn't even look like this place has been hit." One of them said, his companion made to nod when he suddenly crumpled to the ground, dead from a gunshot wound to the forehead.

"Oh, sh …!" the other man said as he was also shot dead while drawing his pistol. Beth slid down against the bottom of the window, clutching the rifle, tears of relief and happiness spilling down her cheeks.

She had done it, and a small pang of guilt poked at her, but she reminded herself of the many other people these assholes had hurt and probably killed. It didn't make what she had done right, but it made her feel better about it.

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><p>Beth awoke before dawn and loaded her supplies into her car, she figured that it was in her best interest to get while the getting was good.<p>

She had spent the remainder of the night gathering supplies, and had found a large hunting knife and a machete, complete with a holster belt for them along with a nine millimeter pistol, she didn't know much about guns, but she found the pistol to be easy to handle and light. She found a small duffel bag and stocked it full of ammo and some MRE's for good measure.

She used the gas from the kidnappers car to fill her gas can, after she loaded it with everything else into her trunk, she paused for a moment, then drew her hunting knife and punctured all four of the other car's tires. She wanted to make sure that she couldn't be followed, at least not in this car.

She was gone by the time the first glints of light peeked over the horizon, she was compelled to keep moving, as if driven by an invisible motor.

As she drove she saw signs for some kind of place, but they were scratched out with a large 'X' and since the road she was on was going to lead her there anyway, she figured it wouldn't hurt to check it out.

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><p>Beth's intuition had been right, it was almost dusk when another car pulled up to the small strip center where she had stayed, it seemed to be following the black car.<p>

The drivers side door swung open roughly, the hinges creaking under the force as a man got out and hurried forward without an inkling of caution of what he might find in the impending darkness.

"Daryl, wait! You can't just go rushing in there! Use your head for god's sake!" Carol said, but if he heard her, he didn't listen. His drive to find Beth was clouding his normally sound judgment. Carol hoped they found Beth soon, because Daryl in this state was a danger, both to himself and anyone he was with. They had been lucky so far, but Carol knew in this world that luck wouldn't hold out forever.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"She's been here." He said as he looked around, as he walked, his foot kicked something, he bent down and picked up a couple of shells from looked like a twenty two rifle. If it was her, she ran into trouble.

"Hey." Carol said from the door, he followed her gaze and saw two men, dead on the ground next to the car with the cross. "I think those would be your kidnappers." she said.

"Shot em' straight through the head, little girl's gotten good." He said with a hint of pride in his gruff voice and a shadow of a smile playing about his mouth.

"If it _was_ her." Carol interjected.

"It _was_." Daryl replied tersely.

"You don't know that." Carol said, her patience with this crap running thin. "You say that every time we stop somewhere and it looks like someone had been there, it's always _'Beth was here!' _when the fact is that you … just … don't … KNOW!" She said, her voice rising in anger.

Daryl rounded on her, his own temper flaring, his blue eyes blazing. "I JUST KNOW!" He yelled back, not caring who or what heard him now.

"Just like you KNEW Sophia was alive, you were SO SURE then, too!" Carol spat out of anger and was instantly sorry she had said it, as she watched a wave of pain and humiliation wash over Daryl and he seemed to deflate a little.

"You think I don't think about that every _day? _I let her down, I was supposed to protect her … but I didn't. Just like Sophia and I'll be damned if Beth turns out the same way!" Daryl said as he stormed back to the car. "Come on! She ain't here no more! If we hurry we might be able to catch up to her!"

Beth smelled it before she saw it, singed flesh, burning fuel, she rounded the corner and hit the brakes out of shock. The remains of a compound loomed in front of her, she assumed it was the one the signs had been for, but it was clear there was no one there left alive.

She could see the walkers milling out of the tree line, attracted by the smells and the smoke still drifting into the air. She made a sharp left down a side street, she eyed the compound as she passed it by. Something about the place gave her the creeps and it made her want to put as much distance between her and it as possible before she had to stop for the night.

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><p>It was after dark when Beth saw a small filling station on the horizon, it was out in the open with no place to hide the car, but it would have to do, it was just too risky to travel at night any more.<p>

There were several walkers inside but, like the one at the gun store, they were severely emaciated, all had been bitten, probably victims of a passing herd. She drug the bodies outside after putting them down but she didn't burn them, she placed them around the front of the store in hopes their stench would ward away other walkers and mask her scent.

Deep into the night she was jolted awake by the sound of another car engine, it couldn't be the car with the cross, her body filled with dread, had the rest of their group followed her somehow? She readied her twenty two and peeked over the bottom of the window ledge just in time to see two figures get out, cloaked in the shadows of the moonless night.

She fired a shot, but it was tough to aim through the narrow slats of the boarded up windows and her shot went wide, one of the intruders grunted in pain as the bullet grazed his arm. She discharged the shell and aimed again, her hands shaking so badly she didn't know if she would even be able to take another shot.

"Drop your weapon and put your hands where I can see em' NOW!" a female voice said as she heard a safety click off, she felt the cold steel of the gun pressed against her temple, she hesitated for a moment, thinking about making a stand, but there was no way, she was boned. She set her weapon down and put her hands in the air.

"Stand up and face me!" the woman ordered, Beth did what she was told and both women dropped their hands in shock. "Carol?!" Beth said before breaking down into tears, relief washed over Carol's aging face and she gathered the young woman up in a motherly hug as her body shook with sobs.

"Oh, god! If that's you then who did I shoot?! Oh, god I'm so sorry!" Beth said as sobs overcame her once more.

"I'm just lucky your shot went wide and I didn't end up like those poor bastards down the road a ways." A gruff, quiet voice said through the darkness, her heart did a joyous summer salt.

She let out a sob of joy and dashed at Daryl, throwing her arms around his neck. Carol smiled as she saw the months of stress and worry drain from Daryl's face and be replaced with the first true look of content she could remember seeing in long time.

"He never stopped searching for you, he never gave up hope." Carol said quietly.

Beth released her hug and smiled at him, her smile was so cute and innocent, the smile of a girl with hopes and dreams for the future. But there was something different about her, a toughness, a confidence, a certain self-assurance that she didn't have before. Those months alone, having to rely on no one but herself had made a real woman out of her.

"Is something wrong?" Beth's voice broke through his daydreaming, he realized he had been wordlessly staring at her this whole time, he could feel the heat rising in his face, from behind Beth, Carol harbored a knowing smile.

"Uh … no … just tired is all." He stuttered as he rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "Come on, lets get some sleep, we have a long drive back in the morning." He said moodily. Beth turned to Carol with a puzzled look, Carol waved off her concern. "Don't you mind, him, you just settle down and get some sleep, you look like you haven't had a decent night sleep in weeks."

Beth lay back against her sleeping bag and sighed deeply, feeling content and safe for the first time in a long time.


	6. Chapter 6

**chapter 6**

Beth awoke to the sounds of people moving around and talking, she panicked and sat bolt upright, her hand reaching for her gun.

"Hey, hey, its okay. We're here." Carol's soothing, motherly voice said as she put her hand on Beth's shoulder. She cast a worried glance at Daryl, whatever had befallen the poor girl had scarred her deeply. She was now plagued with nightmares and paranoia.

"Lets go! We have to get back before Rick and the others leave for Washington. I don't know how long they will wait." Daryl said irritably as Carol slid into the front passenger seat, Beth hung back.

"I think we should take my car. Its newer then yours and its packed full of gear." She said, her arms crossed stubbornly over her chest.

Daryl snorted dismissively. "_gear?_" Beth nodded as she popped the trunk. "Well I'll be a sumbitch." He said as he looked through the bags full of guns. "That one's full of ammo. Bullets, magazines, you name it." she said.

"Hot damn, girl." Daryl said as he nudged her playfully, Beth blushed in spite of herself.

"Come on, you two love birds coming or what?" Carol called as she tossed her gear into Beth's car. Beth and Daryl smiled awkwardly at each other as they climbed in, personally Beth didn't care where she was going, he had FOUND her, and that was all she cared about right now.

They drove on comfortable silence, a silence merely induced by no one having anything to talk about. Everyone was deep in thought.

Daryl in particular was deep into his own head, he suddenly has so many … _feelings_ … feelings that hadn't stirred in a long time, at least not since this whole mess started. He cared about her and that feeling was growing with each passing day. She was so sweet and innocent and cute, she would always be one of those girls who stayed youthful no matter how old she got, she would always be one of those people who looked at the world through rose colored shades. He doubted seriously if she would ever want anything to do with the likes of him.

Beth sat wordlessly in the back seat, looking at the rifle in her lap, she too was overcome with a flood of emotions. She knew what _she_ wanted but _he_ was so hard to read, one moment he was hugging her like he never wanted to let go, and the next he was barking at her like she was nothing but an annoyance to him. She didn't know what to think.

She was suddenly jolted out of her thoughts by Daryl cursing. She looked up to see a large bus in the oncoming lane. The bus veered into their lane, forcing them to stop.

"Wait … what are you doing?!" Beth said, panicked, clutching her gun as Daryl pulled over. "It's Abraham." He said as they all got out.

"Beth?!" a voice said, Beth was sure she had to be dreaming, but she wasn't, there she was, standing in the door of the bus with the same shocked expression on her face. The two sisters ran to each other and embraced, sobbing.

"Let me look at you." Maggie said through her tears as she held her baby sister at arm's length so she could get a good look at her. "You're skin and bones." She said as she brushed a lock of blonde hair out of Beth's face.

Beth smiled sweetly. "I'm okay, really." She said.

"Where are you all headed? Where are the others?" Carol asked.

"We're heading to Washington to get Eugene there, Rick and other others are supposed to catch up with us as soon as ya'll came back." Abraham said. As Glenn and Rosita exited the bus.

"They still at the church?" Daryl asked, Abraham nodded. "Far as I know. You'd better hurry though, I don't know how long they will stay there, given everything that's happened."

"How far is it?" Daryl asked.

"Keep going the way you're going and you'll run right into it, it'll be on the left. Rick has the map of the route we're taking, hope you can join us soon." He said as they all piled back into the bus. Maggie hung back, reluctant to leave her sister. But she made a deal, and she knew her sister was in the very capable hands of Daryl and Carol.

Beth pulled her into a hug. "It's okay, big sis, I'll be okay." She said as she released her.

"Come on, let's go! We ain't got all day and I want to make it there before dark." Daryl barked.

Beth waved a final goodbye as she climbed back into the car and they were off.

As they drove, Daryl found himself feeling relieved she hadn't elected to join her sister, still, he couldn't help but wonder _why_ she didn't.

* * *

><p>Michonne sat on the front steps of the church, only half listening to the preacher talking about how he couldn't sleep and how afraid he was when she heard a noise from somewhere in the woods. "Shut up!" she hissed to the father as she crept forward, her trusty sword drawn.<p>

She breathed a sign of relief and a smile crossed her face as Daryl emerged from the thicket. He gave her a genuine smile. "It's alright, come on out." He called over his shoulder.

Michonne almost dropped her sword out of shock. "Beth?!" she said as she embraced her. "Come on, Rick's been having kittens since ya'll left."

Rick stood as they entered, and the whole group erupted into excited whispering as Daryl and Carol came through the door with Beth between them. the group rushed forward and enveloped Beth in a single, many-armed hug, some where crying, even Michonne had to wipe away a tear or two.

Once everyone settled down, Rick spoke, a huge smile on his aging, bearded face. "_Now_ , we can get to Washington."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**Disclaimer: I know I haven't been putting this, but I don't own anything, okay?**

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><p>Beth sat silently in the back seat of the car, in the seat next to her, Sasha looked forlornly out at the passing landscape, Judith was nestled between them. Carol drove, and Michonne sat in the front passenger seat, a rifle cocked and ready in her lap, just in case.<p>

They followed closely behind Rick's SUV, they had been able to stick, for the most part, to the map Abraham had drawn for them. Abraham's scribbled note of _"Sorry I was an asshole …" _at the bottom popped into her head and she chuckled to herself.

Just then, the radio at Michonne's feet crackled. "The first place we see, we're gonna pull over for the night." Daryl's gruff voice came over the frequency, he sounded tired.

At the top of the hill, loomed a large former truck stop, it looked pretty dilapidated but it would have to do for the night.

"Stay here." Michonne told Beth as she, Carol and Sasha walked up to meet the boys. Beth gave their backs a dirty look as she cocked her rifle, in case she had to defend Judith. She wasn't some fucking victim anymore and she was getting a little tired of people treating her that way.

They probably thought that Daryl and Carol came rushing in on their white horses and carried her out like she was a helpless child. But she would show them … she would show all of them.

Just then, the others came out, waving the area clear. She opened the door and retrieved Judith, pulling the rifle's strap over her shoulder. The baby cooed and giggled, still blissfully unaware of the world she was growing up in, it was so easy to make Judith happy. As long as she was fed, had a bottle and was changed, she was good to go, Beth envied that.

The place certainly wasn't as nice as the church, but it was better than nothing, she supposed. She set up a makeshift crib out of her sleeping bag and an old milk crate, it would mean sleeping on the floor, but at least Judith would be comfortable.

"Here, you need to eat, you look like you're going to blow away with the first windstorm." Carol said as she handed Beth a plate of food. Beth forced a smile as she took the plate and slowly picked at it. She was hungry, but she didn't _feel_ like eating.

"I'm worried about her." Carol said as she joined Daryl, who was sitting alone across the room, Daryl grunted in reply as he moved his food around his plate.

"She ain't the same, something happened to her, something bad." He said, his blue eyes focused on her as she ate, he suspected she was eating out of necessity, not because she wanted to.

"Maybe you should go talk to her." Carol suggested, Daryl scowled and stood, turning his back to her. "There ain't nothing to talk about." He said, that was a lie, there was _plenty_ to talk about, he just didn't know if he had the balls.

"Why can't _you_ talk to her?" Daryl said irritably. "Because, I think it would mean more coming from you." Carol replied, a knowing smile on her face. Daryl rolled his eyes in annoyance but complied anyway, Carol smiled after him for a moment before laying back on her sleeping bag.

Beth smiled warmly as he approached, he stood awkwardly for a moment before she realized that he was waiting for an invitation to sit, she hurriedly moved her stuff over. "You can join me if you'd like." She said, her voice was the same as it has always been, sweet and quiet.

Tears welled up in her beautiful blue eyes as she stroked Judith's head, she smiled as the baby cooed and smiled in her sleep. Daryl put a hand on her shoulder. "Wanna talk about it?" he asked, his eyes, oddly bright in the darkness eyeing her intently, unblinking.

Beth was silent for a long time before she nodded. "Let's go outside, I don't want anyone hearing." Daryl nodded and gestured towards the door.

The truck stop they were at was atop a hill, out in the middle of nowhere along side what was once a major state highway. The surrounding forest was cleared for miles and it was a full moon that night, so Daryl figured if there was any trouble, they would see it in plenty of time.

"What happened to you, Beth? Who took you that night?" Beth's brow furrowed as she thought back, it seemed so long ago already.

"A man not much older than me, he took me to this place. At first I thought it was nice, they treated my ankle and made me well, but I found out they were only making me healthy so I could work, it turned out to be some kind of prison camp. I fled as soon as I got the chance. I just … kept running and running, trying to put as much distance between that place and me as I could until I couldn't run anymore."

Beth paused to wipe away the tears that were spilling down her pale cheeks. "Then all the running, I guess it caught up with me because the next thing I knew, I was waking up in that hospital room, but the place had been overrun, I guess everything gets overrun eventually."

"But those guys that were chasing you, you must've done something to piss them off." Daryl said. Beth's gaze dropped.

"I've … done some stuff, stuff that would probably make daddy ashamed of me, but it was stuff I had to do … to survive. I escaped from the room they held me in, they went after me, I killed a few of them and … and let them turn on purpose. I even killed my roommate, she didn't do anything to me but I had to I …"

Beth's tears overcame her and she sobbed into her hands, Daryl put a comforting hand on her shoulder, wishing he knew what to say, but he couldn't think of anything. Suddenly, Beth lurched forward threw her arms around him.

After a moment of surprise, he wrapped his arms around her shaking shoulders, drawing her in closer. "It's okay, Beth. No one's gonna hate you. Hell you probably have less blood on your hands than we do." He said as her small body shook with uncontrolled sobs.

Once she had calmed a little, she pulled back to look at him, a small, sheepish smile playing about her mouth. "I told myself I wasn't going to be a victim anymore, the weak one. The one everyone thought they had to take care of."

"You're not a victim anymore, you're a lil' asskicker, too, you know that? And your dad? I think he'd be proud." Beth suddenly leaned forward and give him a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks, Daryl, for everything." She said as she turned and practically skipped back inside, happy again for the first time in a long time.

He remained seated in a daydream like state, watching after her even long after she had gone, his hand pressed to his cheek, a soft smile on his face.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

_Notes: Okay, we all know how the whole Beth thing went down, but I am still going to go a different way with this, if that's okay. Just bear with me. I am sorry it has taken me so long to update, writers block is a bitch!_

"Come on, everyone! Up and at em'! We're burnin' daylight!" Rick's voice barked. Beth grimaced as she sat up, she felt twenty years older than and was.

"I don't remember enlisting in the fucking military." Michonne's irritated voice came from somewhere across the room, echoing Beth's thoughts as she grumpily sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

"Once the days get longer, we can sleep later, but until then, we have to do it this way." Rick said, his voice was calm, but the tone suggested he wasn't in the mood for negotiation.

"All this for a man we barely _know_? For a plan we don't even know will work or not?" Michonne said.

"The last time I checked, they are the ones who needed _us_." Daryl interjected as he leaned against one of the shelves.

"Not for them, for Glenn and Maggie." Beth interjected, now fully awake.

"The decision is made, we need as much driving time as we can get." Rick said with finality, Daryl gave him one last long look before turning around and roughly gathering his stuff together.

* * *

><p>Beth was jolted awake by the car hitting a pothole. "W-where are we?" She asked as she rubbed her eyes, car rides had always made her drowsy.<p>

Daryl drove, Michonne rode shotgun, a rifle between her legs, and Carol was in the back seat next to her.

"Oh, Christ." Daryl said as he pulled to a sudden stop. "Oh no!" Beth said as she leaned forward to look out of the windshield.

There was the bus, it had collided with a tree somehow, the front of it was still smoking. Around it, the bodies of dead walkers littered the decaying road.

"What the hell happened here?" Michonne said as they all cautiously got out, Rick's brow furrowed. "I don't know, but whatever it was, it wasn't good, look." he said as he gestured the mouth of his rifle at the bus's tires.

"Looks like they've been shot out." Daryl said as he kicked them.

"Oh, god, where are Glenn and my sister! We have to look for them!" Beth said. "Hold on, we just can't go tramping off into the woods on a wild goose chase. This has to be organized, we will look for them … _together_."

In a line, they entered the woods, even at midday, the woods were dark and full of shadows that played tricks on the eyes, every rustle in the leaves and the crack of a twig had them on edge.

Daryl tracked them to a creek deep into the forest. "They must have followed the banks, but it's too rocky to tell for sure. Maybe they thought they were being followed. They ain't very old, maybe a day at the most. If we follow em' we might catch em, but it's your call."

Rick opened his mouth to speak, but Beth pushed past them and continued down the creek. "Beth, wait!" Rick called after her, Beth turned around, her blue eyes blazing with new kind of fire, the flame of a survivor.

"That's my sister and my brother in law out there, they might be in trouble, and I am going to help them. Come or not, I really don't care." She said as she steadied her rifle in front of her and pressed on.

"You heard the lady." Daryl said, a smirk on his face as he pushed passed Rick. "I'm with her." Michonne said as she and the others followed suit.

Rick chuckled in spite of himself as he brought up the rear, impressed with Beth's newfound resolve. Those months of being on the road alone had turned her into a hardened survivor that didn't take shit from anybody … and he respected her for it.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Beth tracked the creek until she came upon a small town at the edge of the woods in the fading light of day, they could barely make out the forms of dead walkers littering the front of a small volunteer fire station.

"What the hell happened here?" Michonne said as she drew her katana. "I don't know, but it looks like they took whatever vehicle was blocking in these walkers." Rick replied as he turned to Beth.

"I'm sorry, but we're going to have to stay here tonight and pick up their trail in the morning. We have the map of their route, we know they will follow it as closely as they can, but we can't risk traveling at night anymore."

Beth gave him a dejected look, but complied as the scoured the small town for a somewhat safe place to bunk for the night. They decided on a hardware store, where they might be able to find some useful supplies.

They pried open the door and filed in like a covert military operation. But, they found no walkers in the small store. "Bet most of em' were blocked in that garage by whatever they had against the door." Daryl said as they all settled in a circle to eat their meager rations, cold, and straight out of the can.

"Here." Beth said as she tossed Daryl a can from her pack. "What's this?" He asked as he studied it, it had no label, no way to tell what it was. "It ain't poison, silly, just open it." she said with a snicker.

He slowly opened the can and sniffed it, his mouth watered at the aroma, it was Chef Boyardee ravioli. "This was my favorite when I was a kid." He said, Beth smiled. "Mine too."

* * *

><p>Beth was the first up the next morning, she had her gear packed and by the door by the time everyone began to stir. She had even beaten Daryl to the punch.<p>

The group scoured the street, but it was deserted, not a usable car to be found. Beth, however, turned and started down the decaying highway, out of town on foot.

"Beth, stop! Let's go back and get the vehicles, we can follow them quicker that way." She hesitated, that would mean losing a whole day, and maybe more if they ran into trouble, but she deduced that it would save time in the long run, and she reluctantly agreed.

* * *

><p>Beth looked out of the window, lost in thought, they had lost almost two days going back for the vehicles, but she felt that Maggie and Glenn's group, most likely would have also found a working vehicle as soon as they could and continued on their mapped course to Washington.<p>

She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked over to see Daryl pinning her with that intense, blue eyed stare of his. "Don' worry, Maggie an' Glenn are tough sumbitches They're gonna be okay." He said, she smiled sadly at him. _'He said the same thing about Sophia.'_ an ugly voice whispered in her head, she tried to ignore it.

"What the…?" Michonne said as she pulled to a stop, forcing Beth from her thoughts. There they were in front of them, Maggie, Glenn, Rosita, Tara, Abraham and Eugene ... and it looked like they were arguing.

Abraham suddenly grabbed Eugene by the scruff of his neck and forced him to continue on, that's when the wind picked up and the smell hit them all the way in the car. it was almost like a living thing, seeping through every oraphis the car had.

"Holy shit! What is that!" Daryl said as he covered his mouth and nose, Michonne's expression curled into a snarl. "Walkers, lots of em." She said as they all got out of the car, covering their mouths and noses.

Just then, Abraham hauled off and punched Eugene with everything he had, knocking him out cold, he fell face first onto the road he would have beat him to a pulp if Rosita, Glenn and Maggie hadn't pulled him off. "What the hell is goin on here?!" Rick said, they all turned at the sound of his voice.

Maggie and Glenn caught sight of Beth and ran to her, enveloping her in a hug. "How are you doing?" Maggie asked as she brushed a lock of hair out of her baby sister's face. "I'm fine, really." She said, Maggie and Glenn looked at each other in mild surprise at the firmness of her tone, they didn't have much time to reflect on it before they were greeted by the others.

Rick on the other hand, was focused on the may lay before him. "What in the hell is _happening_ here?" He asked again as he crested the hill and the smell hit him full force, in the distance, he could see thousands upon thousands of walkers, luckily they hadn't noticed them yet.

"If you're thinking of going through that, Sargent, you're going by yourself." Abraham said nothing, he merely pushed Rick away and walked to the top of the hill overlooking the pasture filled with walkers and collapsed to his knees.

"What _happened_?" Rick asked again, Glenn blew out a huge sigh and ran his hands through his hair.

"Eugene ... he's been lying about the whole thing ... he doesn't know how to cure this mess, he isn't even a doctor."

_Notes: I decided to keep the storyline of Eugene being a fake, I just liked the dynamic of it. Remember, review, please :)_


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Everyone was silent for a long time, trying to process this, the ray of hope being snatched away from them by some lying son of a bitch.

With an inhuman growl, Rick pulled out his machete and advanced on the fallen Eugene. "Rick, no!" Glenn said as he and Maggie held him back.

"Don't bother he's … he's dead." Tara said as she slowly took out her knife and sank it into the poor man's temple.

"Good riddance, no good lyin' sack of shit!" Daryl spat angrily, his blue eyes blazing.

Abraham remained on his knees at the top of the hill, looking vacantly over the walker logged horizon. He took out his gun and looked at it, contemplating eating it for the second time.

But it had no silencer and the vast herd of walkers in front of them would surely hear it. He decided against it, if he was going to destroy himself, he wasn't going to take these people with him, too. They were good people, they didn't deserve that.

Everyone stood around in silence, not meeting each other's eyes and unsure of where they should go from here.

"I say we keep going, to Washington just like we planned." Glenn spoke up. "I agree, what do we have to lose?" Maggie interjected.

Rick smiled. "Washington DC it is, then."

* * *

><p>"The next town we come to, we're going to have to find another car." Abraham said irritably, he was squished in the back seat of Beth's small sedan between Rosita and Tara. Maggie drove and Glenn rode shotgun.<p>

Rick was in the lead, driving the Tucson. Michonne was riding shotgun, Beth, being the smallest, sat in the small makeshift seat between them. Daryl and Carol sat in the back with Judith in her car seat between them, they all rode in silence, it was a comfortable silence born from people who had been on the road with one another for so long, they were as close as any kin family, maybe closer.

Suddenly, Rick's radio crackled. "It's going to get dark soon, what do you say we stop at the first suitable place we see?" Glenn's voice came over the frequency. "Sounds good to me." Rick replied.

It was dark by the time they found a place, they turned off the highway when they saw a mailbox and found a quaint little house that was nestled against the woods.

"It's gonna be hard to defend." Michonne said, giving the structure an uneasy look.

"Yeah, but we ain't got much choice, there ain't nothing for miles, according to the map." Daryl said gruffly.

"Well, I guess we'll just have to make the best of it, then." Beth said as she draped the rifle strap cross ways over her shoulders and readied her machete as she started toward the house.

She crept up to the door, tapped on it and waited but heard nothing. She cautiously opened the door and struggled to peer inside, but it all she could see was an inky, impenetrable blackness.

Knowing her eyes wouldn't adjust, she dug her flashlight out of her pocket as the rest of the group filed in behind her, their flashlights drawn and fanned out to check all the rooms.

There were three very emaciated walkers in the house, held up in the back bedroom. Michonne, Daryl and Beth disposed of them quickly. Rick and Daryl drug them outside and left them in hopes their smell would mask their own.

"I'll take the floor." Beth said as, after she made sure Judith was comfortable, rolled out her sleeping bag and made a pillow out of her pack. She laid her twenty two ruger on one side, and her machete on the other.

"I'll take first watch." Michonne said.

* * *

><p>Deep into the night, Michonne heard a twig crack somewhere in the woods, her heart beat a little faster, the memory of her encounter with the hunters still fresh in her mind.<p>

She drew her sword and waited, her heart pounding in her ears, hoping whoever it was couldn't hear it, too. Then, someone crashed through the thicket, into the clearing, having to dodge a reflexive swing from the deadly katana.

"Oh, shit! Ya'll scared me! What in the fuck are you two doing prowling around the woods at night?!" She said as Tyreese and Sasha came out into the open.

Tyreese's broad shoulders sagged. "We offered to stay behind and help the reverend, then the place got overrun but he wouldn't leave, the idiot. Too scared I guess, or maybe he thought it was payback for his sins. We finally had to get out there, and leave him to his choice, we would've been here sooner but it took us forever to find a working vehicle." Tyreese said.

"Well, come on." Michonne said as she motioned for them to follow her inside.

"Look, what I found." She said, her face harboring a happy smile.

The whole group jumped up and hugged Tyreese and Sasha. "I'm sorry it took us so long." Tyreese said as he and Rick shook hands.

Rick shook his head. "I'm just glad you both are okay." He replied.

* * *

><p>The group got moving at the first hint of dawn the next morning, having another vehicle made all the difference, it was just a small Toyota corolla, but fit Tyreese, Sasha, Glenn, Carl and Maggie perfectly.<p>

They finally made their way around the huge herd of walkers that had blocked them, and were back on their mapped route to Washington DC.

"What if it's like everywhere else? What if we don't find anything?" Carol asked into the silence. Rick shrugged but had no reply.

"Then fuck it, I say we stay in the fucking white house." Daryl said with a snort, his tone defiant. Beth giggled at this, she covered her mouth in an effort to quell her laughter, but it was no use, her giggles soon infected the entire car and soon everyone was erupting in laughter, even Judith joined in, giggling and squealing excitedly.

"Yeah, think about it, we could make a stand there, even a community, that damn place is big enough to house more than a hundred people." Carol said.

Michonne shuddered involuntarily, Rick studied her in the rear view mirror. "It wouldn't be like Woodbury, Michonne, we would make it right." He said.

Michonne shook her head, and scowled out the window. "I don't want no fucking community, I don't want no fucking strangers, just us, you just can't trust nobody else anymore." She said bitterly.

Rick nodded and didn't push the subject anymore, there had to be good people still out there, they couldn't be the only decent ones left, he didn't want to believe that … he couldn't.

_Notes: Yes, I know it was rather uneventful, Daryl and beth wise, but I should have warned ahead of time, that this was going to be true to the story and not be a fluff fest ... sorry LOL. But there will be MOMENTS of fluff, I promise. But it must be eased into. Also sorry about the delay, I just wasnt sure where I wanted to take this from here._


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

The group filed into the White House with their weapons drawn, the darkness was so thick, their flashlights would barely penetrate it.

They knew there were walkers there, they could hear their hoarse growls echoing through the halls if the vast house, but the darkness was like a curtain, and it was impossible to see them.

Suddenly, walkers started coming at them from out of the darkness, a never ending procession of geeks. Suddenly, Beth had an idea.

"Hey! Assholes! Over here! Fresh meat, come on!" Beth said as she tapped her machete on the tile floor and started backing up, toward the front door.

It worked like a charm, the herd inside filed out, some tripping in their eagerness for fresh meat. "Holy shit!" Michonne said, the herd was hundreds strong, they would have been overwhelmed if they had tried to push further into the building.

"Good call, Beth." Rick said as they put the herd down in rapid succession. It seems like the flow of undead would never stop.

Beth stood by the door, rapping the butt of her machete against it every few minutes, when the flow of walkers would ebb, then, as soon as it began, the parade of walkers stopped.

"Holy shit!" Daryl said as he looked around, the yard was littered with dead walkers, there were so many, that the ground wasn't even visible in some places.

Beth looked around her, breathless; she couldn't believe that their small group was able to take down a herd of walkers over three hundred strong.

"Let's go, keep close and alert." Rick said as they slowly entered once more. "I don't think there is anyone else alive." Tyreese said." Most of the walkers tattered clothes were the remains of business attire.

"I consider that a blessing, I'd rather face a thousand walkers than one living person." Michonne replied. "Me too." Beth agreed.

There were more walkers in the upper floors of the house, but nothing they couldn't handle, it seemed like the bulk of them had been in the lower levels of the building.

"I hate to say it, Rick, but I don't think there is any safe haven here." Sasha said, Rick didn't reply, he blew out a long ragged sigh and rubbed his hand over his bearded face.

Glenn put a comforting hand on his old friend's shoulder. "Don't worry, if there isn't one, we'll make one." He said.

"Close all the doors to this room, we'll bunk here for the night, and secure the rest of the building in the morning, when there is more light." Rick said, ignoring Glenn's statement.

Daryl however, took a lighter approach to things, he strode to the desk at the head of the office, sat his crossbow on the desk and plopped down heavily in the squashy leather chair. "Hell yeah, now that's what I'm talkin' bout." He said as he propped his feet onto the desk with a loud, purposeful _thud_.

As Beth looked around, she suddenly realized that they were _sleeping_ in what used to be the Oval Office, where the president himself used to conduct his business.

"_President_ Daryl Dixon … that has a nice ring to it, don' you think?" Daryl said as he clasped his hands behind his head, Beth laughed in spite of herself, even Rick couldn't mask his amusement and he shook his head, his expression was closer to happy than anyone could ever remember seeing him.

"Okay, everyone, let's try to get some sleep, we have a lot of work to do in the morning." Rick said.

"I'm sleepin' right here." Daryl said as he leaned the large, cushy chair back and closed his eyes. Beth laid back against her sleeping bag, cure or not, she was happy. She had found her 'family', and they were alright, and that's all that mattered to her.

_Notes: sorry this is so short, I just felt like this was the right place to end it. As always, please tell me what you think. Yes, there will be eventual 'Bethyl', trust me, there will be. But it will be a gradual thing, because neither of them are 'jump in feet first' types._


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Beth awoke slowly and peacefully for the first time in a long time, surrounded by her surrogate family. As she sat up and rubbed her face, she realized that it wasn't even light yet, and she was the first one up, she had even beat Daryl, who was still kicked back in the president's old chair, snoring softly.

She slipped outside onto the vast front porch and leaned against one of the once famous white stone pillars. She watched a small group of walkers groped uselessly at the iron fence, growling and snapping their teeth at her.

"Couldn't sleep?" Beth couldn't stop herself from smiling at Daryl's soft, gruff voice, she turned and smiled at him … that sweet, innocent smile he loved so much, he could feel the heat rising slowly in his cheeks.

"The opposite, I slept too well, first time since I can remember, in fact." She said as she turned back to watch the ever growing herd of walkers gathering at the fence.

"Rick wants to clear the rest of the house today." Daryl said, Beth wordlessly nodded, her baby blue eyes not leaving the walker herd. "I don't want you goin'." He said abruptly, Beth turned sharply to look him straight in the eyes.

"Excuse me?" she said.

"Ya heard me, I don't want ya goin'. Besides, we need someone to look after Judith." He said, and instantly regretted it as a look of hurt flashed momentarily across Beth's youthful face, before her expression steeled into a defiant one.

"You don't get to tell me what to do, Daryl Dixon. I know you and Carol probably told Rick that you two came in on your white horses and saved my ass, when the truth is, _I_ almost _shot_ your ass." She said defiantly as she faced him with chin jutted out and her arms crossed in front of her. Daryl had to bite back a grin, she always looked so cute when she did that.

"We need someone like you to stay with Judith, just in case things go to shit." He offered, this time not bothering to hide the wide grin that was spreading across his face as he took a step toward her, his hands on his hips, mimicking her defiant attitude.

Suddenly, Beth took a large step forward, closing most of the distance between them and catching him by surprise. "We'll just see what Rick says." She said as she regarded him for a moment before turning on her heel and marching back inside.

Once her presence was gone, Daryl let out the breath he didn't even realize he was holding.

* * *

><p>"I want to help you clear the rest of the house." Beth declared boldly to Rick as they all got their weapons together. Rick stopped with he was doing and regarded her for a moment.<p>

"I need you here, to protect Judith." He replied, his voice had that familiar tone of finality that everyone knew so well, it meant his mind was made up, but she still had to try.

"Look, I know everyone thinks I am some weak damsel in distress who needs to be protected. I know everyone here thinks that Daryl and Carol saved me from certain death."

"Beth, no one thinks …" Rick began but Beth cut him off.

"Yes they do, I've seen the way they look at me, to them I am the girl who takes care of the fucking baby. You want to know the real story, Rick? Those two men who were after me? The ones driving the car with the cross Daryl said he found? I killed them, I almost killed Daryl and Carol too, accidently of course."

She paused, breathless and Rick took this opportunity. He stepped forward and put a hand on her shoulder. "Look, no one thinks you are weak, Beth. It's just … I need someone to look after Judith and she knows you best."

Daryl watched the conversation from a distance, he didn't need to hear what they were saying, he knew Rick was telling her he needed her here, just like he told her he was going to.

Beth opened her mouth to say something, but there was nothing else that could be said, Rick had made up his mind. So she merely nodded at him and turned and left.

Daryl opened his mouth to say something to her in passing but she cooly brushed passed him, averting her gaze purposefully from his.

He started after her, but he heard Rick call his name and he knew it was time to go, he would have to discuss it with her later, he gave her retreating form a final pained glance before departing with the party Rick had put together.

* * *

><p>It was almost dark by the time they all got back, dirty, sweaty and covered with clotted walker blood. But they had done it, they had cleared the remainder of the house of any walkers and had deemed the house safe.<p>

"How's Judith?" Rick asked Beth as he joined her on the dingy couch, next to her Judith slept peacefully in a makeshift bed. "She's fine, sawing logs as usual." Beth said as she stroked the toddler's hair.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" Beth regarded him for a moment, then nodded. "When I asked you to stay here, it wasn't because I thought you were weak. It was because I needed someone _strong_ enough to defend Judith if it came to that, and I know that you would do anything it took to protect her." Rick said as he placed a hand on her shoulder as he continued. "I also think that you owe Daryl an apology as well, he told me how they found you, and honestly he was pretty damn proud of you."

Beth blushed and smiled bashfully. "I guess I have been a bit of a bitch, haven't, I?" Rick chuckled as he stood and stretched.

"Well, this old man's going to clean up and hit the hay." He said as he left her to her thoughts. Beth sighed as she lay back against the musty couch arm, she was going to have to apologize to Daryl … and she had no idea what she was going to say.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter **

A week had gone by and Beth still hadn't plucked up the courage to apologize to Daryl for being such a bitch to him.

'_Geeze … you can shoot two guys in cold blood, but you can't say you're sorry to someone?!' _her inner voice chastised her and she chuckled to herself as she realized just how silly she was being about this. She had said that she wanted to be a strong, mature woman, it was time she started walking the walk.

'_But, he has also been out hunting a lot, and you haven't seen him in almost a week.' _The reasonable side of her mind argued back. But HE hasn't been sticking around, either.

'_Maybe the reason he hasn't been sticking around is BECAUSE you haven't apologized to him and he wants to avoid an awkward situation?'_

'_Or … maybe it's because he is angry with you and doesn't want to see you?' _A nasty little voice whispered out of the corner of her mind. This was her greatest fear and what has kept her from talking to him since the incident happened. She was in the midst of arguing with herself when she heard the front door slam and the unmistakable sound of Daryl's heavy footsteps. When He didn't enter the former Oval Office, she steeled herself and went to find him.

Beth found Daryl out back, roughly skinning the catches he had gotten during his hunting expedition. She frowned as she saw the half drained jar of clear liquid next to him on the table with bloody fingerprints on its surface. She knew what that was, she could smell it on him … moonshine.

She cleared her throat nervously, he looked at her over his shoulder, regarding her for a moment, before returning to his act of skinning, not saying a word to her.

"Look … I just wanted to say that I'm sorry … for acting the way that I did." She said as she wrung her hands nervously, there was a long, awkward silence to which he didn't offer a reply.

"I just thought that …"

"I know what ya thought." Daryl said coldly, swaying drunkenly as he turned around with a half skinned squirrel in his hand.

Feelings of hurt bubbled up inside her as she saw the cold expression he regarded with as he ripped the hide off the poor, dead squirrel with one rough tug and tossed it aside, Beth flinched involuntarily at the horrible sound it made.

'_He's just drunk, he doesn't mean what he's saying.'_ her mind told her as she swallowed a rebuke.

"Maybe I _should've_ told everyone the _real_ truth and not some cock and bull story about how you were _so_ bad ass, out there on your own." He sneered as he closed the distance between them.

The stench of booze coming off him was so strong, she backed away from him, unable to hide her disdain for the stuff, having saw what it did to her father when he fell off the wagon a couple of times when she was younger.

Quick as a cat despite his drunken state, his hands shot out and gripped her upper arms painfully as he roughly pulled her close.

"Let go!" She hissed as she struggled against him, but his grip was unrelenting and her arms where he gripped her were starting to ache, but like hell she was going to let him know that.

"Wha? I thought this is what you wanted?" He slurred into her ear, the smell of booze coming off him almost made her void her supper.

"Daryl … you're drunk, you don't know what you're doing." She said, remembering back to their days on the lamb when he got a little tipsy on moonshine and had acted like a giant asshole. But he was a hell of a lot more wasted now, and she wasn't sure if she could talk any sense into him.

"I know _exactly_ what I'm doin'." He said as he gripped her hand and pulled her toward the desk. Visions of what the officers did to some of the wards at the horrible place she was at flashed across her mind, and it gave her the strength to rip her hand from his grip.

"I can see this was a bad time." She said a she turned to leave his company.

With surprising quickness for someone as drunk as he was, Daryl's hand closed around her arm again. "Don' you walk away from me!" He said, his voice rising, and a dangerous glint in his bright blue eyes.

"I said get _off_ me!" She said as she tried to push away from him. He grabbed her arm with his opposite hand and slapped her hard across the face, she stumbled back, shocked for a moment.

Instead of cowering and crying, like many of the women he'd seen Merle hit did, without missing a beat, Beth backhanded _him_ across the face with all the strength she could muster. The force of the blow made him stumble back onto his ass.

He looked up to find her with her pistol trained on him, her hand not wavering in the slightest. "I'll say it again, Daryl, you're drunk, you don't know what you're doing. But if you touch me like that again, drunk or not, I _will_ shoot your ass." She said as she turned on her heel and walked out.

Daryl collapsed back against the cool tile grass of the courtyard, finally giving in to the alcohol and letting the darkness claim his conscious.

_As always please, please review, this is my first story for Bethyl. And since I was SUPER pissed about what they did, I decided to continue it in a different way. Thanks for the reviews thus far, please continue to tell me what you think. _


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

_Notes: This chapter will be mostly from Daryl's POV, since I have been focusing on Beth's for most of the story._

Daryl awoke some time later as cold droplets of rain began to pelt his face. The pounding in his head was so bad that the backs of his eyes actually hurt.

He pulled himself into a sitting position and rubbed his face. Then, a wave of pain and dread washed over him as the memories of what has transpired last night began to come back to him, almost making him wish he had drank enough to make him forget what he had done.

The rush of so many new and alien emotions was so overwhelming that he became physically ill. He wiped his mouth with a trembling hand and got shakily to his feet, as the rain poured down onto him. His emotional pain had been so great that he didn't even notice he was soaked to the bone. He had to get inside before he caught ill.

By the grace of god, he got to his room without running into anyone, without running into _her_. What he did was terrible and inexcusable, and he wasn't sure if she would forgive him for it, he wasn't sure if he was _worthy_ of forgiveness. He _knew_ what booze did to him, yet he got drunk anyway, and he had hurt one of the few people that meant anything to him. The last time he felt this much like an asshole was when he had almost hit Carol at the farm all those years ago.

He flopped onto the bed and fisted his lengthening hair in his hands. Dammit! He thought he was past this! He thought he had moved on from his abusive, bullying roots, but maybe there _was_ no way to escape it. Maybe it was in his genes and there was nothing he could do about it, maybe he would always be an abusive, bullying jerk that pushed away the people who meant the most to him. He supposed it _was_ true, that you always hurt the ones you loved.

He sat up and jerkily removed his soaked clothing, tossing them carelessly to the floor and jerked open his dresser drawer for clean, dry ones. It was then he noticed that his clothes had been cleaned and put away neatly, he knew who was responsible, he could tell by the way the clothes were put away. She must have done it before they had their argument.

It made him feel even more like a giant asshole as he stood there, looking at the neat way the clothes were put away. A sudden wave of anguished sadness washed over him and he suddenly felt totally wiped out. He crawled into his bed and collapsed against the musty pillow.

* * *

><p>Sometime the next morning, Daryl opened his eyes with a groan. He felt like crap, and it wasn't just the hang over. His chest was killing him and he was chilled to the bone, just as he suspected, he had caught a cold from being passed out in the rain last night.<p>

He contemplated lying low today, and wondered if he could get away with it, his head swam as he rose slowly and his stomach rolled with nausea, and he decided to give it a try as he fell back against the pillow.

He awoke again to discover that it was almost dark, he had slept away the whole day. Part of him felt guilty for it, but he just didn't have the energy to drag his hung over, sick ass out of bed. He wondered to himself if some of the lack of energy was emotionally related.

He couldn't believe that no one had come to pester him about where he had been all day and he was glad for it, all he wanted to do was sleep. He shivered and pulled the dingy comforter closer around him as he shivered uncontrollably. It wasn't cold in the room, but he couldn't get warm.

The next morning, his luck at being left alone finally ran out, just after dawn the next morning, he heard a soft knock at his door.

"Daryl? It's Carol I've brought you some breakfast." She said, her voice muffled through the thick wood of the closed door.

Daryl grunted a reply and slowly rose, allowing the dizziness from the fever to subside before standing.

Carol was about to leave the food on the floor at the door when it jerked open a foot or so, she gasped as she saw the condition Daryl was in, so _that's_ why he hadn't been showing, she thought he was sulking, as he sometimes did when he had a falling out with someone in the group, but he was genuinely ill.

"Oh, Daryl, you look terrible! Maybe we I should get …"

"You ain't gettin' no one, just give me my food and leave me be." He said, his gruff voice hoarse from coughing as he grabbed the food from her hand and slammed the door in her face, leaving her standing there, giving the door a very concerned look.

Daryl set the plate of food on the bed and stumbled to the bathroom.

"Shit!" He said to himself as he looked at his reflection in the dingy mirror. He _did_ look terrible; there were dark circles under his eyes and they were red and puffy, his skin was a sickly grey color and it had a drawn, dehydrated look to it.

He splashed some water on his face and made his way shakily back to bed, coughing hollowly. He knew he should force himself to eat the food Carol brought, because he hadn't had anything to eat in almost three days.

The very thought of eating anything made bile rise in the back of his throat and he had to bite back the urge to wretch. Still he picked up the fork and forced some of the food down, enough to quell the empty feeling and hopefully, the dull ache in his head that he had a feeling was from hunger.

He pushed the plate aside and collapsed onto the bed, letting the darkness of sleep claim him once more.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

It had been over a week and no one had seen hide nor hair of Daryl. Every day, morning and evening, Carol would bring him a plate of food, and it would always be an empty plate in its place when she returned for it.

"Maybe he's just been out hunting?" Glenn offered as they all sat in a circle after dinner.

"Then why hasn't be brought any game back?" Rick replied, his expression was one of great worry, one that Beth shared (though she wouldn't have admitted it to anyone).

"I've tried knocking at the door, but I get no answer." Carol said hopelessly, tears pricking her eyes.

"I've tried, too." Maggie said with a depressed shrug as Glenn, sensing her worry, put his arm around her shoulders.

Suddenly, Beth stood, causing all eyes to fix on her. "I'll go check on him." She said decisively as she strode off without another word. Rick chuckled and shook his head amusingly as he watched her disappear down the hall.

She got to his door and her resolve, as well as her courage began to drain away, and panic started to set in. What if he was drunk again? What if he actually _went through_ with what he threatened her with this time?

She shook her head, took a steadying breath, and knocked sharply on his door.

"Daryl? It's Beth, are … are you okay?" She squeaked, flinching at how weak her voice sounded. She waited, her heart pounding so hard in her ears that she wouldn't be surprised if he could hear it through the door.

But there was no response, and she grew bolder.

"Daryl! Come on! You can't hide forever! If you're in there, open up!" She said, but there was still no response.

Perturbed, Beth dug a straightened peace of wire and a flathead screwdriver out of her pocket.

"Last chance! If you're not coming out, I'm coming _in_!" She yelled through the door, when she got no response, she went to work picking the lock.

It took her a little longer then she would have liked to pick it, but she attributed it to nerves and her trembling hands. She had to bite back a delighted squeal when she heard the lock finally give and the door creaked open with a loud squeak.

Her elation was short lived, however because the smell that hit her filled her with dread. It was the smell of illness, that unexplainable smell that a person got when they were seriously ill with fever for a while.

All inhibition left her as she burst into the room, frantically blinking her eyes in an effort to make them adjust to the darkness of the room. She heard labored breathing coming from the direction of the bed, followed by a hollow cough.

'_Oh … god! Please! Don't let him be bitten … please!'_ she silently prayed as she ran to his bedside.

"Daryl?! Oh my god! Say something, please!" She pleaded as she cupped his face in her hands, tears running down her face.

Daryl's normally bright blue eyes were grey and fogged as he opened them, he squinted at her in confusion.

"R' … r you an' ... angel?" He slurred, delirious with fever, Beth blushed in spite of herself.

"You hang on, I'm going to get you some help!"

* * *

><p>"Has he been bit, or scratched?" Rick asked, his voice cracking, as if he was afraid of the answer, as his hand went reflexively to his three fifty seven, his fingers tapping the handle.<p>

"Not that I can tell." Maggie said as she and Carol came out of the room. "But he's caught a death of a cold, it's turned into pneumonia. He should've been treated a long time ago, I don't know if the medicines we have are enough to treat it, now." She said.

"When I was on my own, I passed a hospital, its not too far, about thirty miles, I can take you there." Beth said, as she came out of his room beside Maggie, they all turned to look at her.

"Beth … I don't think that …" Maggie started, but Beth cut her off.

"This is all my fault, yes he got drunk and acted like a shithead, but _I _drove him to it, and I need to make it right … so I'm going." She said determinedly

Rick put a hand on her shoulder. "Okay, Beth, you win. I'll send Sasha, Tyreese and Michonne with you, take the Focus, just _be careful_." Rick said pointedly.

He didn't want to have to explain it to Daryl if something happened to Beth on this goose chase. But if he didn't let her go, she would go on her own, no doubt and he felt a hell of a lot better knowing three of his best people were with her.

"Let's get everything together so we can pull out at first light tomorrow." Michonne said as she motioned for the others to follow her, giving assignments along the way.

* * *

><p>Beth had awoken earlier than she had to, she just … didn't feel right leaving without saying goodbye to Daryl, regardless if he could really hear her or not, he had slipped into a fever induced coma sometime yesterday and his condition didn't look good. They were trying to treat him with the over the counter meds they had on hand, but they only managed to barely keep his fever out of the danger zone.<p>

Tears blurred her vision as she sat on the edge of his bed and gently brushed his sweat matted hair out of his eyes.

"Don't worry, Daryl, I'm going to fix this. I'm going to get you what you need to feel better, I promise." She said as she placed a soft kiss on his forehead. She smiled fondly as she noticed the ghost of a smile on his gaunt face.

Suddenly, she heard Michonne calling her name, it was time to go. Beth gave Daryl's limp hand a final squeeze before trotting out of the room.

"Be _careful_ now." Carol called to her as she passed her approaching Daryl's room, Beth gave her a hasty nod as she jogged past. Carol watched her go, a knowing smile on her face.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

"Oh ... Jesus." Michonne cursed as they pulled up to the abandoned hospital and found the grounds to be crawling with walkers just like everything was in this god forsaken world they lived in.

"That's probably why this place has been left alone so long, because it's too hard to get to." Tyreese said as they observed from a safe distance.

"Probably half the walkers out there _were_ people who tried to get in." Michonne said darkly.

"I have an idea, see that basketball court over there? It has a fence all the way around it with a gate. If we can lure the herd … or at least most of them in there, then we might have a chance to pick the rest of em' off." Tyreese said.

"And who to you propose should be the bait?" Sasha challenged.

"I'll do it." Beth spoke up. "I used to run track in high school."

The other three members of the rag tag group looked at each other worriedly, they had promised Rick they would keep her safe and bring her back in one piece … for Daryl's sake ... but they didn't have any other choice, she _was_ the fastest out of the three of them.

"Okay … this is what we are going to do." Tyreese said as he picked up a stick and began to draw lines in the dirt.

* * *

><p>Carol hummed absentmindedly to herself as she tidied up Daryl's room. With Rick and Glenn's help, she and Maggie had managed to change Daryl's bed clothes and he had even awoken long enough to take a few sips of water.<p>

When he slept he dreamt of Beth, he said her name in his sleep, he broke out into a cold sweat and his hands fisted the sheets tucked around him. Carol assumed he had been dreaming about the night she was taken.

"How is he?" Rick asked, leaning against the doorframe.

"He's hanging on, but he needs better meds." Maggie said pointedly.

"I hope the others make it back soon, yesterday his fever rose so high that I never thought I was going to get it down, and we don't have any way to give him an ice bath." Carol said as she put her hand against his forehead.

"It's not far, I'm sure the others will be back soon." Rick said as he left them. _'I HOPE the others will be back soon.'_ Was what he said to himself in his mind as he hid his worried expression from the others and walked back to the Oval Office to be alone. It was times like this he really missed Hershel and his wisdom.

* * *

><p>"You sure you're ready for this?" Tyreese said, he was beginning to regret ever coming up with this insane idea in the first place.<p>

Beth sucked in a deep breath and blew it out.

"Yes." She replied.

Tyreese nodded to her and pried open the chained gate just enough so that she could slip through. She stood at the edge of the fence, her back pressing against the cold chain link for a moment, scanning her surroundings, seeing which would be the best way to go about this.

The herd was pretty spread out, but they would gather together as they chased her.

Or at least that's what she _hoped_ would happen as she ran into the middle of the parking lot.

"Hey, assholes! Over here!" she said as she rapped the blade of her machete on the crumbling asphalt. The ones nearest to her growled hungrily and started toward her in a circular formation.

"Come on, girl … _run_!" Michonne hissed, her face pressed against the fence, her fists gripping it tightly as they watched helplessly.

Then, a figure caught their eye, and it was moving _fast!_ It was Beth, and she was already half way to the basketball court, most of the walkers were in persuit.

Beth stopped at the entrance and banged on the metal gate loudly with her machete. As the hungry, growling herd approached her, she backed into the cage and scaled the fence at the farthest corner. She looked down as she climbed and was surprised at just how many of the walkers had fallen for it.

She struggled over the fence and out of reach, the walkers growled in frustration as they grabbed uselessly for her legs. She grimaced as she felt one of the jagged edges tear into her calf. Forcing the pain from her mind, she jumped down and hurried around to shut the gate before the herd escaped.

"That's what I'm talkin' about!" Tyreese said as they squeezed through the opening in the chained gate.

"I can't believe that worked!" Sasha said as they met up with an excited Beth.

"Come on, let's get this over with and get the hell outta here." Michonne said as they entered through the front doors of the hospital.

The place was a mess, there was debris and papers everywhere, the bodies of dead walkers littered the hallways, and that's what they could see, beyond that was inky darkness.

Sasha stopped and read the faded directory. "It looks like medical storage is on the third floor."

"Great, just fuckin' perfect." Michonne cursed as Beth pushed passed them.

"Come on, belly achin' isn't going to get it done any faster." She said over her shoulder as the others jogged to catch up.

They made it to the third floor with surprisingly little trouble. They figured that most of the walkers had been either outside, or locked in the patient rooms.

"There!" Beth said as they spotted a door at the end of the hall marked _'Medical storage'_, there was no window in the door, no way to tell what lie behind it.

Sasha crept forward and softly tapped on the door with the butt of her pistol. They waited for what seemed like an eternity, no sounds came from the other side of the door. She cautiously opened it and wrinkled her nose at the rush of musty, stale air that escaped from the sealed room.

"It must've been sealed from the very beginning." Tyreese said as they made their way in and started filling their duffels with all that looked useful. Beth took care to grab plenty of antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, and painkillers as well as bags of intravenous electrolytes.

"Time to get lost, we've been here too long already." Michonne said as she poked her head out to check if the hallway was clear, and waved them to exit.

The coast to their vehicle was mercifully clear and they wasted no time in getting the hell out of dodge.

"We still ain't gonna make it back before dark." Tyreese said to no one in particular as he looked out at the darkening sky.

Michonne drove, her hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly, they hurt. If they didn't make it back soon, Daryl wouldn't make it and she was damned if she was going be the one responsible for this group losing anyone else.

She glanced at Beth in the passenger seat, she was clutching her duffel bag full of medicines like it was filled with gold, a worried look on her youthful face. Michonne's heart ached for her and she put the petal down just as night reclaimed its hold on the landscape once more.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Rick sat groggily at his post on the front porch of the White house, fighting against the exhaustion that threatened to claim him.

Then he saw it … or at least he _thought_ he saw it, a pair of headlights. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes, certain that it has been an optical illusion created by the days of missed sleep.

Then he saw them again, this time he was sure it wasn't a figment of his imagination as he raised the scope of the rifle to his eye. Even with a night vision scope, he could barely make out the figure of Beth, hurriedly exiting the passenger side to open the gate.

It seemed to take an eternity for them to make it up to the house, the drive wasn't far, but they seemed to move in slow motion.

"Shit! Do you know how worried I was about you guys?!" Rick said as he ushered them inside. Maggie and Carol met them at the main entrance way and Beth gave them the duffel bag full of medicine and followed them to Daryl's room.

"I don't mean to scare you, but you guys made it in just in time. I don't think he could've lasted much longer." Glenn said darkly to Michonne once Beth was out of earshot.

"The fucking place was crawlin' with walkers, we made it back as soon as we could." Michonne said irritably as she entered her room and slammed the door in his face.

"Beth, if you want to take a rest, I got this, Carol can help me if I need it." Maggie said as Beth helped her set up Daryl's IV and prepared the shots of medicine.

"I'm not going anywhere, not until he wakes up." Beth said, brushing a few strands of platinum blonde hair out of her eyes as she worked, Maggie didn't push the subject any further, she knew better than to argue with her sister when she had made up her mind about something.

* * *

><p>"Well?" Rick asked as Maggie and Carol emerged, looking exhausted.<p>

"We've done all we can, the rest is up to him, now." Maggie said.

A knowing smile crossed Rick's haggard face. "Where's Beth?"

Maggie and Carol exchanged a coy smile. "Where do you think?"

Beth pulled one of the large squashy armchairs up to Daryl's bedside and took his limp, lifeless hand into her small, pale one.

"Daryl, please, please make it. I'm sorry for everything I said, I don't know what I would do if you …" Her tears overcame her and she laid her head against his arm and cried herself to sleep.

* * *

><p>Beth's eyes slowly opened and she rubbed them wearily, she didn't even feel like she'd slept. She slowly raised her head and spooked as she felt something heavy and warm slide off, she suddenly realized that it had been Daryl's hand. He had awoken sometime during the night, had placed his hand on her head and threaded his fingers through her soft tresses.<p>

Beth looked down at his hand, the ends of her hair were still woven through his fingers and a bubble of elation rose inside her. He was going to be okay! She practically squealed with delight as she pressed her cheek against the back of his hand.

Suddenly, she heard a small knock at the door, it was Carol and she was holding a plate of breakfast.

"Here, eat. You've probably lost ten pounds since this whole thing started." Carol said in a firm, mothering voice that reminded Beth of her own mother.

Beth took the plate and dug in eagerly, suddenly ravenous. He was going to be okay! It was like ten thousand pounds had been lifted off her shoulders and she finished her ration quickly. Maggie came back to check on Daryl and stood in front of her.

"Now, I want you to go get some rest … in your _own_ room, if not for me, for him. You don't want to be looking like death warmed over when he wakes up." She said, her voice was that old familiar nagging big sister voice that was so annoying, but there was a twinkle in her eyes and the ghost of a smile playing about her mouth.

Beth smiled as she rose and stretched. "Alright, big sister, you win." She said with a small smile as she turned for the door.

"A … aren't ya' gonna say g'night to me before ya go?" Came a familiar gruff voice, hoarse from lack of use from the direction of the bed.

Beth's mouth widened into a grin that hurt her cheeks as she turned around.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter**

Beth's heart swelled with so much elation that she was certain it would burst right out of her chest. A huge grin spread across her face as she dashed at Daryl and threw her arms around him.

"Oh, Daryl! I'm so sorry for how I treated you! Can you ever forgive me!" She said, her voice muffled against his neck.

"Ain't nothin', lil' girl." He said, his gruff voice had a soft, gentle tone to it as he stroked her long, blonde hair in an attempt to reassure her that she has nothing to be sorry about. Hell, if _anyone_ should be on their knees begging for forgiveness, it was him.

Carol smiled to herself as she exited the room to give them their privacy.

"Beth, look, I'm …" Daryl said as he pulled back, but as he gazed into her beautiful ice blue eyes, he lost his nerve, what if she didn't accept his apology? The way he had treated her _was_ awful and unforgivable, and he couldn't blame her if she didn't, but the thought, the possibility of her not forgiving him still scared the shit out of him.

As if she sensed what he was trying to say, Beth shook her head. "It was a mistake, it doesn't matter anymore, you were drunk, you didn't know what you were doing." She said as she gave him a warm smile.

Daryl didn't cry very often, but at her utterance, his image of her angelic face blurred with his tears and he pulled her back against in a desperate hug. He was so thankful and relieved for her forgiveness, even if he didn't deserve it.

"You go get some sleep, now. You ain't gotta worry bout' me no more." Daryl said with a reassuring wink as Carol came back in, bearing a plate of food for Daryl.

"He is absolutely right, you get on to bed, now." She said as she shooed Beth out.

Once in her room, Beth collapsed onto her bed with a satisfied sigh, she didn't even bother to undress, the emotional and physical toll the past few weeks had taken on her had finally caught up to her and she was soon sound asleep.

"She really cares about you, you know." Carol said.

Daryl grunted in reply as he dug into his plate eagerly. After days of being fed soup and broth, it felt wonderful to have some real food in his belly.

"Daryl, I want you to listen to me. That girl cares a _lot_ about you, more than you know. She worked herself to the bone, making sure you were going to be okay. You have _her_, among others, to thank for this medicine running through your veins." Carol said as she sat on the edge of the bed next to him.

Daryl gave her a sharp look for a beat, then his shoulders sagged.

"I know … I don' deserve her … you don' have to tell me that. I already know that." He said as he averted his gaze.

"When you act like an asshole, no, you don't deserve her." Carol said bluntly, her gaze never wavering.

"She's an angel with a pure heart and a good, caring nature, and its up to _you_ to be worthy of the kind of love she is capable of giving you. The kind of love I think _you_ need." Carol said, and with that, she took his empty plate and left him to his thoughts.

As much as hearing it pissed him off, she was right. Carol had always been one to tell him the truth, and he always respected her for that. She never buttered it up for him like many did, she never skirted around the truth, she reminded him of his mother in some ways … what he could remember of her, anyway.

Beth _was_ an angel, and it was high time he straightened up and stopped being such an asshole … and starting tomorrow, that's exactly what he was going to do.

_Notes: Sorry this was so short, but it just felt right to end it there, I am sorry for the huge delay in updating this, the holidays have been crazy! Thank you all for the follows, favorites, reviews and being so patient. I hope to be updating fairly regularly from now on (provided I don't have a bout of writers block, that is.)_


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter**

Daryl grew stronger every day, thanks to the medicine Michonne, Beth, Tyreese and Tara brought back from the hospital.

After a few weeks, he was practically good as new and Rick had finally given him the all clear to go out on runs and hunting expeditions once more. It was a good thing, too because the group's pantry was getting pretty bare.

"I'm gonna go south, this time of year the big game's gonna be moving south, lookin' for better grazin'." Daryl said as he took a deep sip of coffee.

"I want you to take Beth with you." Rick said abruptly.

Daryl choked on the sip of coffee he had just taken. "W-wha?" He sputtered, patting his chest.

"You mentioned you were teaching her how to hunt and track game before you two got separated, and she has expressed to me a desire to continue with it, plus I know she will be safe with you." Rick said, barely managing to bite back the amused grin that was threatening to burst across his face at Daryl's reaction.

"Look, it's clear she really likes you, its obvious to everyone in the group … well everyone except the one person who really matters." Rick said as he eyed Daryl with a raised eyebrow.

"I know that! I … it's … just complicated." He said, his cheeks coloring as he rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably.

Rick grinned as his gaze darted over Daryl's left shoulder. "Looks like someone's ready, better get going before she leaves without you." Rick said, Daryl turned around and followed his gaze to see Beth standing by the door, her 22 ruger slung over one shoulder, an ammo belt full of bullets over the other, and her machete holstered to her side. Daryl grinned in spite of himself and strode up to her, his heartbeat quickening with every stride.

"Ready?" He said, mentally cringing at how harsh his words came out.

"When you are." She said, flashing him a pleasant smile. Luckily, Beth didn't take his surliness personally.

'_Still would it KILL you do not be such an asshole?!' _a voice in his head nagged him. "I'm tryin'." He muttered to himself as they slipped over the fence at the back of the white house's property.

"Did you say something?" Beth asked from behind him, Daryl shook his head annoyingly at her, and she just smirked amusingly at his back.

They had only walked a few minutes when Daryl started to feel uneasy, the forest was quiet … too quiet for such a nice warm, sunny day.

There were no birds chirping, no sounds of the various woodland animals milling around, going about their business, only stagnant silence met their ears. "Stay close, somethin' don' feel right." he said over his shoulder to Beth, who nodded and drew her machete.

Either there was a large predator in the area, or it was a huge herd of walkers … and neither was a scenario that Daryl cared to entertain this early in their trip.

Secretly, he hoped it was some kind of predator, at least they had a chance at deterring a predator, walkers wouldn't be deterred.

They crested the hill and Daryl stopped so abruptly that Beth bumped into his back.

"Daryl what's…?" She started to say as she came to stand beside him. In one swift move, Daryl's arm shot around her shoulders and his hand clamped over her mouth.

"Mmmmph!" She uttered indignantly as she tried to pry his hand away.

"Stay still and keep quiet!" He as he released his hand from her mouth, but kept his arm protectively around her shoulders. Daryl felt Beth's petite frame stiffen in fear as she caught sight of what had stopped Daryl in his tracks. At the bottom of the hill, in a small valley was a mother grizzly and her two young cubs … and the wind was going to carry their scent right down to the large predator.

Sure enough, the mother bear's head shot up, scenting the air, she whirled around and with a mighty roar, locked eyes with Beth and Daryl.

_Oh … mean, ain't I … LOL. I hope to have the next chapter uploaded today, if not, by tomorrow for sure. Thanks to everyone who faved and followed and, most of all, those who reviewed! You are all wonderful! And yes, Beth/Daryl relationship development is a-coming. _


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

"Back away, _slowly_." Daryl said, his breath tickling Beth's ear, she could feel his stubble against her cheek and his pounding heart against her back as together, they slowly started backing along the crest of the hill. The cubs had shimmied up the nearest tree at first sight of them, maybe they had had too many run in's with walkers, and now considered anything humanoid to be a threat.

With another deafening roar, the mother bear hurtled after them.

"Run!" Daryl's voice yelled into her ear as they broke into a run along the ridge of the slope. They could hear the bear thundering after them, roaring angrily, its heavy body snapping twigs and small branches in its path. Daryl hoped the incline would slow the bear down enough to allow him to figure out their next move.

Beth made to steal a look behind her, and Daryl shoved her in front of him as the heavy strides of the angry bear got closer. "Don' look JUST RUN!" He bellowed, his tone desperate.

Suddenly, the bear slowed from a full on gallop, to a trot, scenting the air, it came to a stop, inhaling deeply of the air around it. Then, as abruptly as the chase started, the bear turned and started back the way it had come, stealing wary glances back at Daryl and Beth until it was out of sight.

Ahead of him, Beth had started down the side of the ridge, that's when the stench hit them, it was a herd of walkers, over a thousand strong. _That's_ why the bear had balked, it had smelled the herd and now Daryl wished they had, too.

"SHIT!" Daryl cursed as he grabbed Beth's hand and pulled her to the left. He was damned if he was going to lose her to the same situation for the second fucking time. Then as if sent by heaven itself, they came upon a deer stand, the latter looked rickety and rusted, but they had no choice.

"Climb and don' look back, no matter what happens!" Daryl said as he, fueled by adrenaline, hoisted her up and half-threw her onto the latter before jumping on behind her. The walkers growled hungrily and grabbed desperately at Daryl's legs, but their fingers uselessly brushed the bottoms of his shoes as he climbed out of reach.

Beth could feel the rickety latter creaking under their weight and she quickened her pace, the last thing she wanted was to be torn to bits by walkers. They reached the top and scrambled into the aging blind like two frightened animals.

"Shit!" Daryl cursed as he looked out and saw just how big the walker herd really was, there seemed to be no_ end_ to it, and more walkers were coming out of the trees, joining the ones that were already there, reaching uselessly up at them, drool dripping from their blackened, decaying mouths as they moaned hungrily.

"Looks like we're gonna be stuck here a while." Daryl said as he sat back in a huff against the wall of the blind and crossed his arms sulkily. Despite the condition of the latter, the blind itself was in pretty good shape.

Daryl' stomach as it suddenly growled loudly and he grinned sheepishly at Beth.

"See? That's why you should always eat breakfast." She scolded him as she scooted next to him, dug into her pack and pulled out a couple of cans of their favorite, Chef Boyardee ravioli.

"Your favorite." She said, smiling sweetly as she handed him a fork.

Daryl studied her as he ate, he couldn't help but admire her ability to always make the best of a bad situation. She never got down, and she never got discouraged.

Suddenly, their eyes met and he realized he had been staring at her, he quickly averted his eyes, his cheeks burning. The sultry weather wasn't helping, either. He cleared his throat nervously.

Part of him hated how uncomfortable and awkward she made him feel, when he was around her, he almost felt like he was sixteen again and trying to talk to his first crush. A sudden gust of wind caused the old blind to sway and creak, the sky outside darkened and distant thunder rumbled across the landscape.

"You don't think this thing is going to come down, do you?" Beth said worriedly as she cautiously looked out the window. Daryl opened his mouth to reply when a bright flash of lightning blinded both of them and a deafening crash of thunder shook the entire structure.

Beth squealed in fright and skittered back like a frightened animal, her blue eyes wide with panic. Instinctively, Daryl reached out, pulled her to him and wrapped his strong arms around her.

She pressed her head against his chest in an effort to dull the sound of the crashing thunder. The storm was right over them now and rain was beginning to pelt the small deer blind, a gust of wind kicked up and the rain smacked violently against the back wall.

Beth snuggled closer and wrapped her arms around his middle. "Don' worry, it's just a summer storm, it'll be over soon." He reassured her as he rested his chin on the top of her head. But secretly, he hoped the storm _wouldn't_ be over so soon.

He had tried to stay awake and keep a look out as the storm raged on into the night, but the feeling of her in his arms, snuggled up against him just felt so comforting … so … _right_, that he had soon found it impossible to keep his eyes open.

* * *

><p>Daryl's eyes snapped open and he squinted against the warm, early morning sun as it lazily filtered through one of the windows. He could hear the birds singing their cheery morning songs and the woodland animals milling around in the forest.<p>

He knew they threat was gone now, and he knew they should get moving while they had the chance … but Beth wasn't awake yet and right now she was snuggled against him, her head resting in the crook of his neck and shoulder.

Just the feeling of her soft skin against his sent waves of desire through him and he groaned in frustration as he gently shook her awake.

"Beth, come on, we gotta go." He said as she sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

"Mmmkay." She mumbled as she sleepily gathered her belongings and slung her pack and rifle over her shoulder.

Daryl looked down, there were still a few walkers milling about, but nothing they couldn't handle.

"Ya up for a little target practice?" He asked Beth. "Sure!" She said, beaming.

She steadied the rifle on the seal of the blind's window and aimed carefully through the scope. Once she had the walker in the crosshairs, she fired, the creature crumpled to the ground in a heap.

Empowered, she discharged the shell and took all the remaining walkers out in rapid succession.

"Damn, girl!" Daryl said, his face beaming with pride, Beth felt a blush rising to her cheeks. "Well … I had a lot of time to practice when I was out on my own, I kind of had no choice." She said bashfully.

"Well, let's get while the gettin's good." Daryl said as they gathered the rest of their belongings and climbed down the latter.

_Notes: Okay … after I published the last chapter, I realized that it was Sasha who went with Michonne, Beth and Tyreese to the hospital, not Tara, I am sorry about that. I am also sorry at how long this chapter is, I didn't intend for it to be so long._


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21 (Part 1)**

"What is it?" Daryl said as he and Beth kneeled and studied a set of tracks leading to a meadow. Beth concentrated for a good while before answering.

"A deer?" She asked, standing and looking to Daryl, who shrugged.

"I don' know, you tell me." He said with a wry smirk, Beth rolled her eyes and playfully shoved him.

"That's not fair!" she complained as she crossed her arms in a mock pout.

"Well … _you're _the one who wanted to learn. I've taught ya long nuff' you should know by now." He pointed out, his smirk widening. Beth blew out a ragged sigh and refocused her attention on the tracks.

"Yeah … it is a deer … I'm sure of it." She said, Daryl said nothing, he merely nodded his head and gestured ahead of them, insinuating they continue.

Beth had been right, it was a deer, a nice, big buck that, if she could make the shot, he would give them enough meat for a month, maybe more.

"Okay," Daryl said, slipping the thirty thirty off his shoulder as they knelt down in the tall grass. They were up wind and there was no breeze, the conditions were perfect.

He handed her the rifle, cocked and ready to fire. "Ya got all day, just take your time." Daryl whispered in her ear, he grinned to himself as he noticed goose bumps erupt on her arms. He loved seeing how he affected her, it encouraged him!

Beth took in a steadying breath and aimed through the scope, the buck was grazing on the tender early summer grass, none the wiser. Suddenly, something, maybe the sound of another woodland animal made the magnificent creature's head shoot up, now was her chance, she pulled the trigger.

A sharp pain shot through her shoulder as the rifle kicked back into it painfully, she hadn't pressed it firmly enough against her body and she would definitely have a bruise tomorrow. But she had made her kill, the buck had crumpled to a heap where he had stood, dead before he hit the ground.

"That's my girl!" Daryl said without thinking as he proudly clapped her on the back, their eyes met and there was a beat of awkwardness between them.

"Come on, let's clean this thing and get it back before something makes a meal out of it." He said, suddenly surly once more.

"Here. You're gonna clean it." Daryl said as he handed her his knife and a pair of gloves.

"W-what?" Beth squeaked.

"If you're gonna kill an animal for food, you're gonna have to learn to clean it, I ain't gonna be round' forever." He said flatly.

"What is _that_ supposed to mean?" Beth asked, Daryl shrugged.

The kind of world we live in now, it's only a matter of time before we all die." He replied emotionlessly.

"You shut your mouth, Daryl Dixon. I don't know anyone more fit to survive in this world than you. You're going to be the last man standing." She said as she knelt beside the dead deer.

"Now are you going to show me how to do this or not?" She asked as she eyed him expectantly. Daryl didn't bother hiding his grin as he knelt in the warm grass beside her.

**END OF PART 1**

* * *

><p><em>Notes: I am sorry I had to make this a two parter, the website wouldn't let me upload it as one chapter because it was too long. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause my readers, and I hope you all still enjoy it all the same.<em>


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 21 (part 2)**

_Notes: Again, I am sorry for having to split this, but it was so long the website would let me upload it as one chapter. I apologize again for any inconvenience this might cause. I hope you all still like it._

* * *

><p>"Oh wow, Daryl, this is <em>great<em>!" Carol said as he gave her the bag full of meat for jarring.

"Don' thank me." He said as he nudged Beth, who blushed and shyly wrung her hands.

"_You_ shot it?" Maggie said, surprised.

"Shot it … and cleaned it. Lil' girl's gettin' good, soon she won't need me no more." Daryl said with a wink.

* * *

><p>That night, after everyone had gone to bed, Beth stood out on the wide front porch of the white house, humming quietly to herself. It was a warm, clear night and the full moon bathed everything in an eerie blue light.<p>

"What song is that?" Daryl's gruff voice said from behind her, Beth spooked, and turned around.

"I wish you would stop sneaking up on people like that." She said, patting her chest in an effort to calm herself.

He took a step closer. "Stop being so easy to sneak up on." He said, his face melting into a coy grin.

She shot him a mock dirty look. "Shut up." She retorted.

"What was that you were humming? It's the same thing you were humming on the way back from hunting." He said as he came to stand next to her.

"It's a song called 'In the Bleak Midwinter' I know it's stupid to sing it in summer, since it's a winter time song, but I always liked it, it has a nice melody." She said with an embarrassed shrug.

"Sing it." Daryl said abruptly as he pinned her with his intense, blue eyed stare.

Beth looked at him, startled. "What?"

"I haven't heard you sing in a while, not since we were …" he trailed off and she knew he was thinking about the time they spent at the house that had the piano, when she had played and sung for him.

"I didn't even think you liked my singing." She said, secretly thankful it was dark, as she felt a blush rising in her cheeks. She was suddenly aware of Daryl's rough hand stroking her long ponytail.

"I did like it." She heard him say, she looked into his eyes and there was an expression she hadn't seen there before … almost one of … yearning? She smiled warmly at him as she started to sing.

"_In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan, _

_ earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone; _

_ snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow, _

_ in the bleak midwinter, long ago._

_Our God, heaven cannot hold him, nor earth sustain; _

_ heaven and earth shall flee away when he comes to reign. _

_ In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed _

_ the Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ. _

_Angels and archangels may have gathered there, _

_ cherubim and seraphim thronged the air; _

_ but his mother only, in her maiden bliss, _

_ worshiped the beloved with a kiss. _

_What can I give him, poor as I am? _

_ If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb; _

_ if I were a Wise Man, I would do my part; _

_ yet what I can I give him: give my heart."_

When she finished the song, she turned fully to face Daryl. He was giving her the same, burning, sultry look as he had when she began singing. He slowly reached out and gently gripped her shoulders, as her small, dainty hands rested at his elbows.

They stood there for what seemed like an eternity, both yearning for the same thing, but neither seemed brave enough to make the first move.

Poisonous thoughts ran through Daryl's head, how he didn't deserve her, he wasn't good enough for her. How different they were, and how it would never work.

He didn't get to entertain those thoughts any further, because in that moment, Beth grasped the front of his shirt and pulled him into a kiss.

_Notes: Aha! Yes! I know, Finally! Please tell me what you think._


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

_Notes: I know this would technically be chapter 22, but since I had to upload that two parter as chapters 21 and 22 (the website made me do it that way, its why it didn't show up the first time I posted it) I am going to have to label it as chapter 23 so it appears in correct chronological order. Again, sorry for the confusion._

Daryl fought through the haze of surprise, disbelief, and elation and broke off the kiss. His heart clenched painfully at the look of hurt that washed over Beth's beautiful face.

Beth mentally kicked herself, she knew that making the first move was a bold one, especially concerning a man of Daryl's personality.

"I'm sorry I … I thought that's what you wanted …" she trailed off as the pain from the assumed rejection became too much and she turned away from him, his hand on her arm stopped her.

"I _do_ want it." He said in earnest as he turned her to face him, she still averted her gaze, tears shining in her beautiful blue eyes, there was something else flickering there, too ... doubt.

"I shouldn't have been so stupid! I'm not tough like Maggie, or Michonne, or Carol. You deserve someone like them … not someone like ... like _me_." She said as tears of anguish spilled down her face.

"Beth, _stop_ it!" Daryl almost roared as he cupped her face and forced her eyes to meet his.

"It's _me_ that's not good nuff' not you! When that car took you, I chased it til' I couldn't run no more. Every night I would have nightmares about what they could be doin' to you! I couldn't protect you and … I'm …. I'm afraid … of losing you again!" He said, finally coming clean about what had been bothering him since they were reunited.

"Oh Daryl, you can't blame yourself for that." She said as she put her hand on his cheek. "In this world, you can't be safe anymore, and you can't _keep_ anyone safe. All you can do is your best, and thats what you did, I never felt safer than I did ... _do_ when I'm with you."

"I want this, I have for a long time. I'm not a little girl anymore, I know what I want." She said as she snaked her arms around his neck, drawing him closer, leaving no space between them.

Daryl was not usually a man in touch with his feelings, but these were so strong, that he couldn't deny them, it pulled him to her like a magnet pulls on metal.

He was silent for so long that Beth, taking his silence as rejection, let her arms fall to her sides and backed away from him.

"I'm sorry I ruined the friendship we had … or what I liked to think we had." She said, she was so confused, back at that house, she was certain there was _something_ more between them, but, looking back it might just have been wishful thinking.

As Daryl looked at her, so defeated, humiliated, and torn down, Carol's words floated through his mind.

"_She really cares about you, you know … She's an angel with a pure heart and a good, caring nature, and its up to you to be worthy of the kind of love she is capable of giving you." _

'_Is this your idea of acting like you deserve her?' _A quiet voice whispered from the corner of his mind.

'_You're a Dixon, god damnit! So man up and stop acting like such a pussy!'_ Another voice in his mind shouted at him.

Without thinking about it anymore, lest he lose his nerve, Daryl strode forward, wrapped his arms around Beth's petite frame and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"I'm sorry, Beth … I'm sorry for everything, about your father …" He trailed off as the torrent of emotions finally overcame him and he wept uncontrollably, burying his face in her silky hair.

Beth's embrace around him tightened in an effort to comfort him as his body shook with sobs of anguish and self-loathing.

Beth didn't say anything to him, she just held him as all the emotions and feelings he had been bottling up for so long finally poured out of him. In some way, she was happy he was finally letting it out, because it was eventually going to kill him if he hadn't.

She tilted her head and looked at the ruins of the surrounding city, the pale, predawn light cast a serene glow over the ruined buildings and over the walkers, slowly milling to and fro along the streets, always traveling somewhere but getting nowhere.

It was then she realized they had spent all night, together, talking. She couldn't imagine a better sleepless night to have as she tightened her embrace around Daryl's middle.


End file.
